1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus that includes an end effector assembly for performing electrosurgical procedures, and, more particularly, an end effector assembly that allows a user to selectively seal and cut tissue.
2. Description of Related Art
Open or endoscopic electrosurgical forceps utilize both mechanical clamping action and electrical energy to effect hemostasis. The electrode of each opposing jaw member is charged to a different electric potential such that when the jaw members grasp tissue, electrical energy can be selectively transferred through the tissue. A surgeon can cauterize, coagulate/desiccate, and/or simply reduce or slow the bleeding, by controlling the intensity, frequency and duration of the electrosurgical energy applied between the electrodes and through the tissue.
Typically, and particularly with respect to endoscopic electrosurgical procedures, once a vessel is sealed, the surgeon has to remove the sealing instrument from the operative site, substitute a new instrument through the cannula and accurately sever the vessel along the newly formed tissue seal. This additional step may be both time consuming (particularly when sealing a significant number of vessels) and may contribute to imprecise separation of the tissue along the sealing line due to the misalignment or misplacement of the severing instrument along the center of the tissue seal.
Certain types of open and endoscopic electrosurgical forceps, as mentioned above, also utilize a movable knife or cutting blade that is movable via a knife channel. The knife channel is defined by a jaw member and is often characterized as a narrow cavity within the jaw member. After tissue has been treated (e.g., sealed or coagulated) by the forceps, the knife is moved along the knife channel and cuts or severs the treated tissue. In certain situations, tissue debris is trapped within the knife channel and frequently obstructs the path of the knife. When this or similar situations occur, unnecessary complications arise for the user during a surgical procedure.